CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 12/04/18

Farmers and other rural Americans at high risk for stress, mental health challenges, suicide

By James Hataway

Rural Americans, especially those working in agriculture, need more support to help with stressors, and for the treatment of mental illness, addiction and the prevention of suicide, according to Anna M. Scheyett, dean of the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work.

Scheyett, who has more than 25 years of experience researching severe mental illness and the services designed to promote recovery, will join other experts from across the country Dec. 10 and 11 in the Crowne Plaza Atlanta-Airport for a conference titled “Rural Stress: Promising Practices and Future Directions.” All news media are welcome to attend.

Here, Scheyett shares some of her perspective on mental health among farmers, and why it’s so important that new strategies are developed to help this unique population.

Why are farmers at a higher risk for mental illness and suicide?

“This can be a hard life. So much of what farmers do is out of their control, and this can lead to very high levels of stress. No matter how hard you work, you cannot change the weather, you cannot change the economy. That can lead to an intense feeling of helplessness, particularly after a natural disaster like Hurricane Michael here in Georgia or wildfires in California.”

“Because of geographic isolation in some rural areas, farmers may have only a few close friends and family members, so relationship problems can be incredibly stressful.

“This is a complex problem, and there is no one thing that will fix it.”

So how do we begin to solve such a complex issue?

“It will take a multi-pronged approach. There is a whole continuum of things that we can do, but I think it’s all got to start within that farming community. We have to understand the needs of this community so we can connect them with the tools they need.

“An intervention is only as good as it is acceptable, and ideally the details of what’s needed to help farmers will come from farm communities themselves. I’m a firm believer that if you get a community together and have them talking genuinely, they know best what they need, and we can work together to help them get it.”

What role does the Rural Stress conference play in this process?

“We’re bringing in experts from all over the country who have been working on this problem in new and interesting ways so that we can learn from each other, but this conference is really geared towards action. We want to develop clear next steps.

“These people play such a crucial role in our society. They feed us, for heaven’s sake, and they are owed this kind of attention and support.”

For more information about the Rural Stress Conference, see ruralstress.uga.edu. For more information about Anna M. Scheyett, see ssw.uga.edu/faculty/scheyett.html.

Authors:
James Hataway
Experts/Sources:
Samuel L. Pardue
Farming is a career field where you can work long hours, put in overtime, do your best and still fail. From crop-destroying pests to droughts, floods and hurricanes, many factors can lead to a lost crop and the heavy burden of stress that comes with it. Set for Dec. 10 and 11 in the Crowne Plaza Atlanta-Airport, the “Rural Stress: Promising Practices and Future Directions” conference was organized to help experts know how to help rural Americans deal with stressors.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
03 20 2024 Farm Stress Summit Allisen Penn and panel 048 CAES News
2024 Farm Stress Summit provides mental health resources for Georgia farm communities 03/25/24 Jordan Powers
As Georgia’s No. 1 industry, agriculture pumps billions of dollars into the state’s economy each year. While headlines often highlight Georgia’s commodities — peanuts, blueberries, poultry and more — one aspect of agriculture is often not discussed, the farmers themselves. At the 2024 Farm Stress Summit, held at the Chattahoochee Technical College Jasper campus, a few critical points were woven throughout each of the day’s sessions: The people are the most important part of Georgia’s agricultural industry, and the state needs to come together to help farmers and promote agricultural education and awareness.  
2024 FarmStressSummit Graphic CAES News
Farm Stress Summit to address mental health challenges among Georgia farming communities 03/04/24
The prevalence of mental health challenges experienced by farm families and farming communities in Georgia is staggering. Faced with unfavorable weather, unfriendly economic conditions, labor shortages and more, farmers of all types often cope with the pressures of their profession in unhealthy ways, including considering suicide. On March 20, UGA faculty and farmers, agricultural community members and mental health stakeholders will convene at the 2024 Farm Stress Summit to look for opportunities to support Georgia’s farm families.
From forces of nature to inflation, stressors have an outsized impact on farmers and their families. CAES News
From forces of nature to inflation, stressors have an outsized impact on farmers and their families 11/16/23 Maria M. Lameiras
Farmers are tough. They work long days at physically demanding, often dangerous work and rarely get a break, much less a vacation. Months of hard work can be wiped out with a few days of bad weather, and they battle nature at every turn, from drought and floods to weeds and insects. Farmers and ranchers rank high on the list of most stressful professions and farmer suicide rates are higher than the overall population of workers.
Anna Scheyett CAES News
Breaking stigma: Mental health solutions in farming and rural communities 11/15/23 Jordan Powers
Explore the heart of rural Georgia in this episode as we discuss the intersection of social work, agriculture and mental well-being with Anna Scheyett, professor in the CAES Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC) and former dean at the University of Georgia's School of Social Work. Anna shares how she is building more robust networks to dismantle mental health stigmas, advocate for farmers' health and mental well-being, and highlight the statewide work being done to promote resilience and build support in the communities that provide our food, fuel and fiber.